The Rsn invasion of Ukr (News)

• Zelensky admits Ukraine’s counter-offensive against Russia has failed
  Metro
• Putin seems to be winning the war in Ukraine—for now
  The Economist

• UK intel officials: Russia forces making 'modest' gains in Ukraine around Avdiivka
  The Washington Times
• Khromovo just outside Bakhmut claimed captured by Russia [Reuters, Tweet]
  INFO

• Ukraine Strategy Is Questioned: Ukraine’s counteroffensive is struggling because it has too many troops in the wrong places, U.S. and other Western officials told The Times
  The New York Times (Aug 22)
• The total number of troop deaths and injuries in the Ukraine war is nearing 500,000, U.S. officials said, a staggering toll over 18 months
  The New York Times (Aug 18)
• U.S. intelligence says Ukraine will fail to meet offensive’s key goal
  An illustrative quote showing just what the US is expecting of Ukraine:
  “Joint war games conducted by the U.S., British and Ukrainian militaries anticipated such losses but envisioned Kyiv accepting the casualties as the cost of piercing through Russia’s main defensive line, said U.S. and Western officials.”
  The Washington Post (Aug 17)
• With big gains eluding Ukraine on the battlefield this year, military leaders and policy makers are considering how training and new equipment might tip the balance next year/in the spring
  The Wall Street Journal (Aug 13)

• ISW: Ukrainian forces may be temporarily pausing counteroffensive operations to reevaluate tactics
  The Kyiv Independent
• Kyiv is forced to pause its counter-offensive in the south amid heavy losses of Western armoured vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal
  Daily Mail

Many have questioned whether that really is the full truth, believing instead that the US is responsible and shifting blame onto the Ukrainians, but there have been several fairly spectacular attacks on Russian territory clearly carried out by the Ukrainians since and the information is still embarrassing for the Ukrainian war effort. It is believable.

It's not the first cross-border raid into Russia but it's the most brazen yet, involving maybe ten or more armored vehicles and it was carried out in broad daylight. The attackers have seized control of at least one village.

• A compilation of videos of the incursion [Tweet, YouTube]
• Russian border post captured [Tweet]
• Video shows Ukrainian forces shooting and allegedly hijacking civilian vehicle [Tweet]
• Explosion reported in Belgorod [Tweet]
• Civilians evacuated from villages in the region [Tweet]